Mining apparatus



Sept. 9, 1941.

O. W. HUNN MINING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheefi l flllmINVENTOR.

I BY

A T TORNEYS.

Sept. 9, 1941. o. w. HUNN MINING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR;

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 NT QFFl-CE- MINING APPARATUS Oliver W. Hunn, NewPhiladelphia, bhio, assignor' of one-fourth to George E. Arnold Newl'hila-' delphia, Ohio Application December 18, 1940, Serial;No."370,7l

5 Claims.

This invention relates to mining apparatus and is designed primarily forthe purpose of extracting fine particles of material from, beds ofgravel and conducting them to points where they can be processed for thepurpose of separating valuable minerals from other particles.

A still further object is to provide an apparams of this kind which issimplein construction, easily manipulated, and, while useful in the removal of dry material from gravel beds, is especially suited forextracting values from Watercovered areas of gravel or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through the cooperatingintake pipe.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower or screen end of therotatable pipe.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the lower end of the stationary pipe.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates astructure which can be erected at any suitable point or can be mountedon a barge or the like, and On this structure or at any other desiredpoint can be located a motor 2 and a suction pump 3, the latter drivenby the motor or by other means. A flexible suction tube 4 is extended tothe intake of the pump and serves to connect said pump to one end of astationary suction pipe 5 the other end of which is provided with spacedfingers 6 between which are located intake slots 1. Pipe 5 can besupported or guided by any suitable structure such as a frame 8 in whichit can slide for longitudinal adjustment and at a desired point on thispipe can be located a collar 9 constituting a thrust bearing for arotatable pipe I!) having a working fit on the pipe 5. The lower end ofthe pipe I0 is closed as at H except for a plurality of small aperturesl2, and that portion of the longitudinal wall of the pipe extendingaround the fingers 6 is also formed with a plurality of small aperturesindicated at l3. Thus the lower portion of the rotatable pipeconstitutes", in effect, a screen for preventing the admission of anyparticleso-f material smaller than those of a predetermined siZe ormesh.

7 To the pipe 10 is securely attached a pulley M or othertype of wheeladapted to be driven by a belt I5 or the like receiving motion from themotor 2 as will beapparent by referring to Figure 1. If. the apparatusherein described is to be used for the purpose of extracting smallparticles from a submerged-gravel bed, the said apparatus is mounted inany suitable manner on a barge or the like which is brought to properposition above the bed. The guiding and supporting frame 8 is set up andthe lower end of pipe [0 is pressed downwardlly onto the gravel bed.Said pipe is then caused to rotate at a high speed and the lower portionthereof will serve as a screen or grid through which fine particles canbe drawn by the suction set up through the pump 3 and tube 4. The finerparticles entering the apertures I2 and I3 will pass through the slots Iand thence upwardly and, when the solids moving within tube 4 reach apredetermined point they can be permitted to gravitate into another tubeI6 communicating therewith and which serves to direct the solid matterto the point orpoints where a processing operation is to be effected.Should any particles too large to pass through the apertures l2 and I3become lodged therein, the fingers 6, which have a working fit againstthe inner surface of pipe Ill, would act as ejectors to dislodge theseparticles and cause them to be thrown away from the pipe.

As the suction continues, fine particles will gravitate toward theapertured lower end of pipe I!) and be pulled out from among theparticles of gravel so that the separating operation can be carried onfor a considerable length of time at one point before the pipes aremoved to another point within the bed.

Where the particles'are removed from a submerged gravel bed, apercentage of water will of course be drawn upwardly into the pipes withthe solids, this water flowing outwardly through the pump and, with thesolids, through the branch tube l6.

Under some conditions the apparatus can be used in dry mining.

Any desired means can be used for forcing the pipes downwardly into thegravel bed or the pipes can be caused to feed downwardly under their ownweight.

What is claimed is:

1. Mining apparatus including a stationary suction pipe having slots inone end portion, a rotatable suction pipe having a working fit on thestationary pipe, there being apertures in the lower end portion of therotating pipe providing a screen surrounding the slotted portion of thestationary tube, a. suction device connected to the stationary pipe, andmeans for rotating the apertured pipe.

2. Mining apparatus including a stationary suction pipe having slots inone end portion, a rotatable suction pipe having a working fit onthestationary pipe, there being apertures in the lower end portion of therotating pipe providing a screen surrounding the slotted portion of thestationary tube, a suction device, a flexible connection between saidsuction device and the stationary pipe, said connection having an outletfor material gravitating within the pipe, and means for simultaneouslyrotating the apertured pipe and actuating the suction means.

3. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers projecting fromone end thereof and providing slots therebetween, a rotatable suctionpipe having a working fit on the stationary pipe and its fingers, therebeing apertures in one end of the rotating pipe and in that end portionof the wall thereof extending around the fingers, said fingersconstituting means for dislodging from the apertures in the rotatablepipe, particles which are oversize, a motor, and separate means operatedby the motor for simultaneously rotating the apertured pipe and settingup a suction through the apertures and slots an within the pipes.

4. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers extending fromone end thereof providing slots therebetween, a rotatable pipe having aworking fit on the stationary pipe, one end of the rotatable pipe beingprovided with apertures providing a screen in the wall and end of thepipe, said fingers being positioned to cooperate with the screen todislodge the oversize particles projecting through the apertures, asuction pump, a flexible tubular connection between the stationary pipeand the intake of the suction pump, means opening into and extendingfrom said tube for directing solid particles from the tube and away fromthe pump, and

'means for simultaneously actuating the pump and rotating the aperturedpipe.

5. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers extending fromone end thereof providing slots therebetween, a rotatable pipe having aworking fit on the stationary pipe, one end of the rotatable pipe beingprovided with apertures providing a screen inthe wall and end of thepipe, said fingers being positioned to cooperate with the screen todislodge the'oversize particles projecting through the apertures, asuction pump, a flexible tubular connection between the stationary pipeand the intake of the suction pump, means opening into and extendingfrom said tube for directing solid particles from the tube and away'from the pump, means for simultaneously actuating the pump and rotatingthe apertured pipe, and a combined guide and support for the pipes, saidpipes being shiftable longitudinally relative to the same.

OLIVER HUN L

